Stability of an elliptical vortex in a strongly coupled dusty plasma.

The stability of a long scale equilibrium vortex structure to short scale perturbations is studied in a strongly coupled dusty plasma in the framework of a generalized hydrodynamic model. It is shown that the free energy associated with the velocity shear of the vortex can drive secondary instabilities consisting of transverse shear waves when the resonance condition between the vortex rotation frequency and the secondary wave frequency is met. Such a process can transfer energy from the long scale vortex to the short scale secondary wave and thereby provide a saturation mechanism for long scale vortices in plasmas in a manner analogous to that in neutral fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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